TAIWANfest Returns to Vancouver This Labour Day Weekend

TAIWANfest returns to downtown Vancouver from Sept. 5 to 7 to celebrate the unseen forces that connect rather than divide. This year's theme, “Islands in the Wind,” explores the connections between Taiwan, Canada and Scotland.

In recent years, Taiwan has emerged as a haven for progressive values in Asia. The fight for equity and inclusion in Taiwan has captivated people from around the world. TAIWANfest has curated this year’s programming to highlight how these people are redefining what it means to be Taiwanese.

While Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, queerness can still be rendered invisible or frowned upon by elders. Taiwanese indie band P!SCO uses music and energetic live performances to create a safe and welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, queer novelist Nathalie Chang (Chang Yi-Hsum) examines the complexities of gender identity through literature. She will host a sharing session aimed at bridging generational gaps within the Chinese-speaking community.

This year’s opening performance features two award-winning Taiwanese groups, performing in their mother tongues: Nanwang Sisters, an Indigenous vocal trio that preserves the memories of the Pinuyumayan people through rich harmonies; and ZiXuan & Slow Train, an indie Hakka band that blends traditional Hakka mountain songs with modern jazz and soul.

Culinary traditions are also being reimagined. Michelin-recommended chef Ted Liao is boldly redefining Hakka food on his own terms — treating every dish as an opportunity to tell a story. He invites Canadians to a handcrafted cola-making workshop exploring Hakka flavours from around the world.

In Canada, there are also people working hard to challenge and transform the meanings of cultural symbols into something that more accurately reflects the people and the community. TECTONIC, curated by Taiwanese Canadian Nancy Lee, brings underground subcultures of street dance and electronic music onto the TAIWANfest stage.

Taiwanese Canadian writer Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho will be joined by two other diaspora writers, Julia Lin and Ed Lin, in a panel on Taiwan, identity and storytelling. In their own words, they are establishing their own understanding of what it means to be Taiwanese in North America.

Katrina Chen, author and community leader, published a picture book last year to raise awareness about gender-based violence. The festival provides a platform for these important conversations to be expanded between generations and within diaspora communities.

Reflecting on the festival’s cultural dialogue, Leith Davis, director of the Research Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, will present an introduction to Scottish history through a collaboration with live musicians. Taiwanese and Asian diaspora communities are invited to learn from the Jacobite risings and the preservation of memory through music.

Through live performances, the “Hope Talk” lecture series, exhibitions, workshops and more, TAIWANfest explores how heritage and identity from Taiwan, Scotland and Canada evolve over time, with amazing artists, scholars and community leaders bringing their distinct voices together to continue this vibrant intercultural dialogue. For more information, including the program schedule and venues, visit the TAIWANfest website.